For topping
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 lb Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into thin wedges

For biscuit cake 1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup well-shaken buttermilk

Make topping:
Heat butter in an ovenproof 10-inch heavy skillet (preferably well-seasoned cast-iron) over moderate heat until foam subsides. Stir in brown sugar and remove from heat. Spread mixture evenly in skillet and arrange apples, overlapping, in 1 layer.

Make cake:
Blend flour, sugar, baking powder and soda, salt, and cinnamon in a food processor. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Transfer to a bowl and add buttermilk, stirring just until mixture is moistened.

Drop batter on top of apples and gently spread, leaving a 1-inch border around edge of skillet. (Cake needs room to expand.)

Bake cake in middle of oven until golden brown and firm to the touch, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool cake in skillet on a rack 3 minutes, then invert onto a platter. Replace any apples that stick to skillet on cake.

Serve warm.

Do you have a favorite recipe you'd like to share? Email it to: OSSJournal@ossone.com. If your recipe is chosen you'll receive a Free "Thank You" gift so be sure to include your name and address!

Efficient meetings? If that sounds like an oxymoron, you undoubtedly have suffered through one too many disorganized meetings. Meetings don't have to be dull and unproductive. With a little planning, a meeting can produce great results and be quite memorable.

Make it Worthwhile
First and foremost, if you don't have a clear purpose for the meeting, don't have the meeting. Far too many meetings are held simply because they have always been held. You know the type. It's the same day, same time meeting that is held every Monday morning regardless of whether there's anything new to discuss. Try to have a purpose for every meeting and identify at least one intended outcome. If you can't think of a clear purpose, scratch the meeting.

Have an Agenda
Make an agenda and distribute it before the meeting, but don't write it in stone. It is important that every meeting have an agenda so discussion doesn't wander aimlessly, but make it flexible enough to tackle a subject that may arise, which could prove worthwhile.

Limit the Agenda to Three Points or Less
Ask yourself, "What are the three most important things we need to cover in the meeting?" Limit the agenda to these three points. This keeps everyone's attention span because the meeting is short and to the point.

Encourage Green Light Thinking
Everyone at your meeting has ideas, but there's always someone who holds back for fear of sounding stupid. If the meeting atmosphere is positive, they are more likely to open up without fear of reprisal. Get everyone talking by asking questions, not making statements. Instead of raising objections, ask more questions.

Observe Yourself
Are you talking too much? Are you holding back? Are you negative to others or encouraging? As Dr. Phil would say, if you're not contributing to the meeting, chances are you may be contaminating it. Look at yourself objectively and try to correct any behavior that others would perceive negatively.

Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity and well-being of our country

With the long hours and terrible working conditions that prevailed in the 19th Century, American unions became more prominent and voiced their demands for a better way of life. On Tuesday September 5, 1882, 10,000 workers marched from City Hall to Union Square in New York City, holding the first- ever Labor Day parade. Participants took an unpaid day-off to honor the workers of America, as well as vocalize issues they had with employers. The Central Labor Union held its second Labor Day holiday just a year later, on September 5, 1883. As years passed, more states began to hold these parades, but Congress would not legalize the holiday until 12 years later.

In 1884 the first Monday in September was selected as the holiday, as originally proposed, and the Central Labor Union urged similar organizations in other cities to follow the example of New York and celebrate a "workingmen's holiday" on that date. The idea spread with the growth of labor organizations, and in 1885 Labor Day was celebrated in many industrial centers of the country. On June 28, 1894 Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September of each year a legal holiday in the District of Columbia and the territories.

The form that the observance and celebration of Labor Day should take were outlined in the first proposal of the holiday -- a street parade to exhibit to the public "the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations" of the community, followed by a festival for the recreation and amusement of the workers and their families. This became the pattern for the celebrations of Labor Day. Speeches by prominent men and women were introduced later as more emphasis was placed upon the economic and civic significance of the holiday. Still later, by a resolution of the American Federation of Labor convention of 1909, the Sunday preceding Labor Day was adopted as Labor Sunday and dedicated to the spiritual and educational aspects of the labor movement.

The character of the Labor Day celebration has undergone a change in recent years, especially in large industrial centers where mass displays and huge parades have proved a problem. This change, however, is more a shift in emphasis and medium of expression. Labor Day addresses by leading union officials, industrialists, educators, clerics and government officials are given wide coverage in newspapers, radio and television.

Source: U.S Dept. of Labor

Meet our Staff! Each month we will introduce you to one of our associates. This month our Featured Employee is Mrs. Donna Dixon. Donna is an Inside Sales Account Manager and has been with OSS for nearly 10 years. She enjoys the beaches of the Carolinas, hiking and spending time with family. Donna loves the time she spends with her customers helping to meet their unique needs. Her caring attitude and willingness to go the extra mile for her customers is evident in her work every day. Thanks Donna for being a part of the OSS family of professionals who work hard each day to give the best personal service possible to our customers! You can e-mail Donna at ddixon@ossone.com